What do you value?

A gentleman I have known for many years recently lost his wife. He hadn’t been to church in quite awhile—years, in fact. I saw him on Easter Sunday, and we talked about his wife and how much she and their family have meant to mine over the years. I told him I was glad to see him back at church.

He said he was keeping a promise to his wife.

They had talked about coming back together, but then she got sick, and it never happened.

Before she died, she made him promise that he would go to church. And so, there he was on Easter Sunday.

This man is no stranger to loss. He lost a son early in life. During our conversation, he said something that has stayed with me ever since. He said he was realizing that there just isn’t much in this life that truly matters.

He didn’t say it in a “poor me” kind of way. Quite the opposite. He said it with a sense of peace—almost like someone who had finally figured something out. There was wisdom in it.

“Figure out what truly matters to you and hold on to it. Let the rest go.”

• • • • •

What comes to mind when you hear the word minimalism?

Selling everything you own and living only with the basics? Sparse living spaces? The opposite of abundance?

I am currently reading the book Uncluttered by Joshua Becker, and he defines minimalism as:

“The intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.”

That definition stopped me in my tracks.

Society tells us abundance looks like more—more stuff, more money, more success, more influence, more followers.

But Joshua Becker writes that his definition of abundance changed:

“Abundance was no longer the amount of stuff I owned, but having a full life with what mattered most to me.”

I had to read that sentence several times. It was a real eye-opener for me because lately, I have felt distracted by stuff. Not just physical clutter, but also the constant pressure of what I think I should have by now—or what society tells me I should want.

You probably didn’t expect to hear that from a professional organizer.

But I, too, can become weighed down by the pursuit of “more.” And yes, sometimes that includes more stuff.

In order for me to truly help clients who feel burdened by physical and mental clutter, I have to do the same work myself. I have to ask:

What can I let go of that no longer serves me? What is stealing time, energy, and attention from what matters most?

• • • • •

But before I can answer those questions, I first have to ask myself:

What do I value?

• I value relationships—with family, friends, colleagues, and clients.

• I value my health: physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental.

• I value the well-being of others.

And once I know what I value, I can begin to ask deeper questions:

• What distracts me from being fully present in my relationships?

• Am I taking care of myself well?

• Do stress, comparison, and financial worry keep me from living peacefully?

• Does keeping up with my home—and everything inside of it—refresh me or exhaust me?

• Does my home reflect who I truly am?

• Am I able to nurture relationships by welcoming people into my home? Or do I struggle with C.H.A.O.S. (“Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome”) because I feel ashamed of the state of my house?

• Do my possessions reflect my values—or distract me from them?

Life is too short not to live abundantly in what matters most.

And once you know what you truly value, abundance starts to look completely different.

This is the second in a series of 3 posts – thanks for reading!